the yo-yo effect

After deciding to adventure on our own following the West Cherry Creek Expedition, Shanna and I set out towards Ventura, CA to start some preliminary odds and ends work for Naturalist at Large. Although our jobs don't start officially until August 25th, we called in to the office and were granted some work in the warehouse--restacking, packing, and resupplying for the upcoming season.
Ventura is a small town far enough outside of LA that the town hasn't assumed the hectic insanity which cities of LA's size inevitably have. The cool sea breezes move in to drop the day and evening temperatures to very comfortable mid 80's highs and 60's lows.
Our time in Ventura was enjoyable, the work not too mind numbing, but we were on the road again as a late night call from Amos Shuman changed all plans with the words: "Middle Kings is dropping in."
The Middle Fork of the Kings river is an epic trip: a day-long 15 mile hike in to LaConte Canyon over 12,000 ft. high Bishop Pass, followed by five days of continuous whitewater.
Polk Deters has joined the usual crew of Mefford, Robin, Toby, and Amos with Shanna running ground support, and Mr. Deters is more than fired-up as he has been pursuing this particular river unsuccessfully for the past eight California whitewater seasons.
The unpredictability of the river's fluctuating flow that has resulted in Polk's frustrations until this year has the crew chilling and killing time in Bishop waiting for our adventure to drop into the perfect water levels.

Until those levels are reached we will be pursuing all possible mischief in the area.

photo by Robin Betz